RoadVitals

2020 Indian Challenger Dark Horse

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Feb 2, 2024
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2020 Indian Challenger Dark Horse, most frequently naming the tires & wheels category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 13 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
24V069000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Feb 2, 2024
11,648 units potentially affected
The defect: Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Challenger, Challenger Dark Horse, Challenger Limited, 2022 Challenger Dark Horse Icon, Challenger Elite, FTR 1200, FTR 1200 Rally, FTR 1200 S, FTR 1200 R Carbon, Pursuit Dark Horse, Challenger JD Limited Edition, Pursuit Limited Icon, Pursuit Dark Horse Premium, Pursuit Limited, Pursuit Limited Premium, 2019-2020 FTR 1200 S, FTR 1200, and 2020 FTR 1200 Rally motorcycles. The brake lights may illuminate unexpectedly and without brake application from the rider. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk: Unintended illumination of the brake lights may create confusion for the drivers following the motorcycle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will update the ABS module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 1, 2024. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-24-03.
Indian Motorcycle CompanyManufacturer number I-24-03View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 10, 2026

180/60 R16 m/c Mezeler Cruistec rear tire. Tire has internal malfunction, possible design or manufacturing flaw. LARGE bulge developed on right 1/3 of tire tread making riding the motorcycle dangerous. MULTIPLE failures of this tire brand/model & size have been seen and posted on facebook Indian Challenger and Harley Road Glide owners pages. This IS NOT an isolated incident. I believe this model & size of tire needs to be recalled by the manufacturer and replaced with a SAFE alternative. Tire is at roughly 50% tread life. Never overloaded. Air pressure monitored every ride via a TPS unit. Never run low on air psi, I carry a portable compressor to be sure tire is at operating pressure.

NHTSA ID
11763319
Incident
Sep 7, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

IND-2.28.2025-4

POWER TRAIN

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding belt inspection and tension adjustment on model year 2020+ Indian Challenger motorcycles.

IND-02.14.2025-07

SERVICE BRAKES

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding inspection and maintenance of the brake system on model year 2020+ Indian Challenger motorcycles.

IND-02.14.2025-06

ENGINE

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding air filter inspection and replacement on model year 2020+ Indian Challenger motorcycles.

IND-02.14.2025-01

ENGINE

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding engine oil and filter replacement on 2020+ Indian Challenger motorcycles.

IND-02.14.2025-08

POWER TRAIN

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding clutch lever inspection and adjustment on model year 2020 Indian Challenger motorcycles.

I-24-08 (R03)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Indian Motorcycle has determined that model year 2020-2024 Challenger, 2022-2024 Pursuit and 2024 Chief motorcycles may encounter a scenario in which the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) or Wireless Control Module (WCM) may not fully power off, resulting in unnecessary current draw from the battery. To address this concern, Indian Motorcycle has released this Service Bulletin with instructions to update the VCM and/or WCM software.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Indian Challenger Dark Horse by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025110—
2024610—
2023100—
2022010—
2021010—
2020Viewing110—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.